Daily Power #38

“My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:26)

One time I was in a big home improvement store when I noticed a little old lady stretching to reach for the largest pair of hedge clippers I’d ever seen.

“Ma’am,” I said, “can I help you with those?”

“Oh, thank you—yes, please,” she said.

“Must be quite a job if you need clippers this big,” I said and put them in her cart.

“Well, they haven’t been trimmed in a long time,” she said and went on to describe her yard and to explain why she hadn’t been able to cut her hedges sooner. As we chatted, I asked who would be helping her, only to discover she planned to attempt this job by herself. Her family lived far away and she couldn’t afford to pay someone.

It felt impulsive and a little crazy, but I offered to cut her hedges for her. After considering my offer for a moment, she asked, “Are you sure you’re a lawn man?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “I am today. I got this.”

I’m not sure why I happened to run into her that day, but I’d like to think it was because I had the chance to be a blessing to her—and to be blessed in the process. It’s so easy to hear about someone in need or to find ourselves in a situation where we could help. And it’s easy to smile, say something kind, and offer up a prayer. But if we truly want to love like Jesus, then we need to go one step farther. We need to serve.

Power Lift

Open my eyes, Lord, to the needs of those around me. Today I want to sacrifice my agenda to help someone experience your love.